Golf courses comprise various types of terrain between the tee box and the hole. Standard forms of terrain include the fairway, the area between the tee box and the putting green. Fairways typically have short, evenly-cut grass. The rough refers to areas between the fairway and the out-of-bound markers, and also between a mowed apron surround the green and out of bounds. The grass there is high and coarse, making roughs a difficult area from which to hit. Terrain type influences the contact between sole of the club head and the ground, having a significant impact on the distance and direction the golf ball travels. For example, striking the golf ball from the rough slows the players swing speed and often causes the club head to twist prior to impact resulting in off-centered shots. The terrain type can also vary depending on the geographical location of the golf course. For example, the ground in some locations is very hard, and not porous; whereas the ground in other locations is very soft and the soil is well aerated.
Efforts to help the golfer hit the ball in the intended direction for the desired distance have resulted in golf clubs with larger striking faces. A larger striking face increases the contact area between the ball and the club head and is purported to help the golf club resist twisting as the club head interacts with the terrain. The presumption is that a club with a larger striking face will move in a straighter line along the swing plane, projecting the golf ball in a straight direction. However, these clubs do not necessarily resist twisting and certain types of terrain continue to disrupt the club head prior to contact with the ball, resulting in off-centered shots that propel the golf ball in unintended directions for undesirable distances. This is unsatisfactory to many golfers.